


Andorian Incident Continued

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-30
Updated: 2006-03-30
Packaged: 2018-08-16 04:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8086597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Missing scenes, 1.07 "The Andorian Incident."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This story is dedicated to Tami, because without her it wouldn't have been written. Thanks my friend for your constant encouragement and faith in me.  


* * *

"Give it to him."

T'Pol looked at her commanding officer.

"Sir?"

Archer repeated, "Give it to him."

T'Pol passed her scanner to Shran. She'd used it to take pictures of the listening post as ordered to by Archer. By being loyal to her human captain, she was in effect betraying her own people; but she knew her decision was the right one. She'd never been the kind of person to blindly follow the High Command or other Vulcans. In this case, Archer was right and the Vulcans were wrong.

"You got what you came for. Now get out of here," Archer told Shran.

Shran looked grateful but at the same time suspicious.

"How do we know you won't attack our vessel?"

Archer responded, "The Vulcans violated your treaty. Your people ought to know about it." He then glanced at T'Pol and asked, "You have a problem with that?"

â€˜Is he testing me again?â€™ wondered T'Pol. Hadn't she passed yet? Didn't he realize she would be loyal to him? Just how much proof did these humans need? Unless of course this was all for Shran's benefit. She decided to give Archer the benefit of the doubt.

"Your communicator," she requested of Reed. "T'Pol to Enterprise."

Mayweather responded. T'Pol continued, "The Andorian ship will be leaving the surface momentarily. They're free to go."

Mayweather acknowledged her command and closed the channel. T'Pol surmised that should be enough to satisfy her captain and the doubting Andorian.

"We're in your debt," said Shran and departed with the rest of his Andorian entourage with the information he'd come for.

* * *

The journey back to Enterprise in the shuttle was relatively quiet and uneventful. It was also a little crowded considering that they now had extra passengers onboard. Reed and his men had transported down to P'Jem, but were returning with Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker in the shuttle.

T'Pol looked forward to returning to her quarters and meditating. She was also anxious to reapply her nasal numbing agent as soon as possible. She was sitting in close proximity to several humans and the odors they gave off were beginning to test the limits of her endurance.

Archer docked the shuttle in the Shuttlebay and everyone shuffled out. Doctor Phlox ordered everyone to report to Decon for a bioscan to make sure they hadn't brought any stowaways onboard.

It had slipped T'Pol's mind that there would be another delay in getting to her quarters and applying the nasal numbing agent. Decon. She sighed deeply as she accompanied the captain and the others to the chamber. It had been a long two days. Her patience had been severely tested. She could sense her emotions were far too close to the surface. She really needed to meditate.

Phlox ran his usual scans.

"Everyone's clear, except the Captain and the Sub-commander. I'd like you two to stay behind and apply Decon Gel E. It seems you two brought a guest along with you."

The rest of the away team exited out of Decon, leaving its two occupants alone.

"Will this take long doctor?" asked an exasperated T'Pol. Archer eyed his first officer; he wondered if she was feeling all right. He could almost hear the irritation in her voice. That was unlike her. Perhaps the last two days had been a strain on her. It couldn't have been easy; discovering her people had broken a treaty and were spying on their neighbours.

"Not too long Sub-commander," smiled Phlox. "Just as long as the gel is effective; you should be out in twenty minutes or so."

Archer and T'Pol stripped down to their underwear. Archer handed her a jar of the gel. She opened it and began applying it to her arms.

"Are you okay, T'Pol?" Archer inquired of his science officer.

"I am fine, Captain," she lied.

"You don't sound fine to me. Look, I don't mean to pry, I'm just showing concern for you as a member of my crew."

T'Pol didn't answer and continued applying the gel. She'd finished with her arms and was now working on her legs. Archer decided to try another tactic.

"In a way I'm glad we're stuck in here together. It gives us an opportunity to talk."

â€˜What was there to talk about?â€™ thought T'Pol. These humans certainly did enjoy whiling away the time with idle chatter. It was something she would have to grow accustomed to, but it was still a little difficult.

She looked up at him and for an instant realized she wasn't looking at him as her commanding officer anymore. Instead, she saw him as an attractive man. T'Pol allowed her eyes to wander over his well-defined chest and taut abdomen. She concluded that his unclothed appearance was definitely aesthetically pleasing and distracting.

She'd thought him handsome from the first moment she'd met him at Starfleet Medical, despite his rude comment of threatening to knock her on her ass. She'd found his face pleasing, but had not permitted herself to dwell on it. She'd shared the Decontamination chamber with him before, but on that occasion they hadn't been alone. Well it was only a momentary distraction, she told herself, and if she'd meditated the night before she wouldn't be experiencing these illogical thoughts.

She decided to look down and concentrate on smoothing the gel into her legs, as that would be a much wiser course of action than admiring the captain's physique.

"What did you wish to discuss, Captain?" she questioned.

"I wanted to apologize for my behaviour yesterday evening."

Apologize? The captain? T'Pol was shocked. Even though she'd only known him for nine weeks and five days, she'd already concluded he was the kind of man who never apologized.

"It is not necessary, Captain."

"I think it is. You seemed upset with me last night. You thought I was questioning your loyalty to me."

T'Pol remembered all too well what he was alluding too. They'd been lying on the floor together sharing a blanket and discussing strategies on how best to solve the hostage situation they were in. Archer had told her he needed to know he could count on her; he needed to know where they stood. Both comments had offended her Vulcan sensibilities, she could now admit that to herself. She had never given Archer any reason to think she would betray him or be disloyal to him. She'd been the model first officer. How dare he insinuate such a thing? She'd replied curtly and to the point that she'd never disobeyed a single order of his. With that remark she had pulled the blanket they both shared entirely to her side.

"Well, Captain, how would you interpret your own comments? Were you in fact questioning my loyalty?"

Archer didn't like her direct approach. It put him in an awkward position. He'd hoped she would just admit to being upset, and he could get his apology over and done with. This now meant he would have more explanations to get through.

"T'Pol, I suppose in the past I have allowed my preconceptions toward Vulcans to cloud my judgement. I guess my feelings are deeply ingrained. That's why I want to apologize. I know I can trust you. I guess I should never have doubted that to begin with."

"So you did doubt me then?" she asked. She decided to look up as well. She wanted to see his eyes to ascertain if he was being honest.

"For a brief moment I might have, yes. But I can see now that it was totally unfounded. You're a very valuable member of my crew, T'Pol, and we're lucky to have you onboard," Archer explained. He hoped this sounded convincing enough.

"In that case, Captain, I accept your apology."

"Good," responded Archer. He continued, "I was wondering if you could help me out."

"In what way, sir?"

"My back, would you mind applying some gel to my back, it's a little hard to reach by myself."

"I see," she replied. She'd never rubbed Archer's back before. She felt a little apprehensive but replied hoping to mask the doubt in her voice. "Of course."

She concluded once more that she was feeling this way because she hadn't meditated. She'd assisted Commander Tucker in Decon before and had felt no trepidation. She didn't see why Archer should be any different.

T'Pol got up and approached him. She rubbed some gel into her hands.

Archer turned around so his back was facing her. She noticed large purple bruises in the lower area of his back, no doubt a souvenir of Shran's handiwork. She began to rub the gel into his back muscles. She discovered she enjoyed the sensation of his skin under her fingertips. She shook her head and tried to concentrate on something else. Tomorrow's duty roster, the letter she needed to write to her parents, Surak's teachings, the Vulcan desert. She concentrated hard on these other matters so Archer's skin would not be so enticing to her fingertips or eyes.

"So were you mad with me or not?" Archer's question interrupted her concentration.

"Captain, Vulcans do not get â€˜mad.â€™"

"Okay, but you did seem upset and acted as if I'd offended you. Didn't you pull the blanket away in anger?" he questioned.

T'Pol pondered the captain's question. She had pulled the blanket away on impulse, not giving it a single thought. In that instance, she had not suppressed her emotions and had acted before thinking. He had her cornered now though. She'd have to admit to this moment of weakness. Just as she was about to answer him, Archer let out a cry of pain.

"What's wrong?" she inquired.

"My back! Could you be a little more careful? Shran and his buddies really worked me over. "

She acknowledged that she'd rubbed the gel in too hard around the bruised purple areas.

"My apologies, Captain. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well just be a little more gentle if possible; I'd appreciate it."

"Of course."

She finished with his back. "I believe you're done, Captain." He thanked her and asked if she needed any help. Suddenly she felt very self-conscious, but knew that she did indeed need his assistance.

"Yes. If you wouldn't mind applying the gel to my back as well?"

"Sure," responded a very happy Archer. He'd never been so intimate with T'Pol and he was enjoying their time together. He thought she was very beautiful. He'd decided that the moment he'd laid eyes on her in San Francisco, even though at that first meeting she'd irritated the crap out of him.

T'Pol turned her back to Archer. He lifted her top slightly and rubbed her lower back. His touch was pleasing. â€˜This is not good,â€™ thought T'Pol. When was Phlox going to announce their session was over? It was becoming uncomfortable and distressing for her. Not only was she finding the captain attractive and his touch pleasurable, but he had almost succeeded in prying out of her a confession.

Archer had finished with her back and was now rubbing gel on her ears. She had attended to them earlier but decided not to protest and permitted the captain to continue and indulge his fascination with them. She concluded that he did a much better job of it than she had earlier, and therefore it was only logical to allow it.

"Okay, you're all done," Archer told her.

"Thank you for your assistance, Captain."

"Well there's an old earth saying, T'Polâ€”â€˜you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.â€™ I believe we both helped each other."

He smiled at her. Her eyes locked with his for a moment. She noted that he had a wonderful smile and beautiful green eyes. She wondered how many human women had lost themselves in those eyes. Her train of thought was interrupted by the overhead comm.

"Your twenty minutes are up. I've just scanned you both and you're free of any microbes," reported Phlox.

"Thanks, Doc," replied Archer, as he opened the Decon doors and motioned for T'Pol to walk through.

T'Pol got dressed quickly and exited, en route to her quarters. As she arrived, she found that in her haste to escape from the captain, she had forgotten to get her nasal numbing agent from Phlox. Well she'd have to get it later. Right now all she wanted to do was get under the shower.

Archer was dressed and looked around for T'Pol. It seemed she had disappeared. He saw Phlox.

"Where's T'Pol?" he questioned the doctor.

"I believe she left for her quarters, Captain. Was there something you needed?"

"No, that's fine, thanks, Doc." Archer wondered why she had exited in such haste. Was something wrong? Had he made her uncomfortable? Maybe he'd pushed her a little too hard on the blanket issue, although thinking about it now he hadn't received an answer from her. He smiled to himself, she'd obviously wanted to evade the issue.

He walked to his quarters, entered and was greeted by a very happy Porthos. He patted the dog and then sat on his bed.

"You're lucky you didn't come with me on this mission, boy," he told the dog as he undressed.

Archer continued with a tone of amusement in his voice. "Somehow I don't think you've had enjoyed being cooped up in a room full of Vulcans who hadn't washed their robes since the time of Surak." Porthos just barked happily in response and jumped on the bed.

Archer walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It just occurred to him that he was going to wash off all the gel that T'Pol had meticulously applied to his back. That had been a rather pleasurable experience, well apart from when sheâ€™d massaged his bruised kidney. But aside from that, he had rather enjoyed himself. He smiled as he thought of the future Decon sessions he would enjoy with his beautiful Vulcan first officer.

He still wished they had wrapped up their conversation though. He was utterly fascinated with the thought that she might have been angry with him last night. So much for humans being the only ones to take offense and be prideful. It seemed this Vulcan was just as susceptible to those emotions, though of course she concealed them much better.

As he soaped up he found himself thinking more and more about T'Pol. He was beginning to like her. Like a Vulcan? Boy was that unthinkable! What would his friends back in San Francisco say? That he'd gone soft and was befriending Vulcans now? He'd resented her presence onboard immensely when she'd first been assigned, but somehow over the weeks he'd begun to respect and admire her. There was no doubt she was more than qualified for the job of science and first officer. She was the most efficient and reliable member of his crew. Now he couldnâ€™t imagine Enterprise without her.

After his shower, Archer got dressed and headed toward the bridge. He wasn't officially on duty, but he still wanted to update himself on the goings on within his ship.

* * *

T'Pol had showered and changed. She now turned her attention to meditating.

She gazed into the naked flame and tried to find inner peace. Her nerves had certainly been jarred and she was exhausted emotionally. Not only had her own emotions been close to the surface recently, but she'd spent the previous night lying next to her captain and being bombarded with his emotions. Though if she was completely honest with herself the experience had not been entirely displeasing.

Whilst she hadn't slept very much herself, the captain had. She'd found herself studying and watching him in the middle of the night. He looked younger when he slept, more relaxed with the tension drained from his face. She'd also regretted her earlier actions and couldn't in good conscience let him sleep in the cold. After he'd fallen asleep she'd decided to share the blanket and spread it over him. When he'd awoken in the morning and questioned her actions, she had told him that he must have pulled it over himself during the night.

T'Pol breathed in deeply and then exhaled. She was trying to find her center, her inner calm. Being on an earth ship was not easy. It would require constant mental discipline and a rigorous schedule of meditation. Despite this, she was glad she had remained aboard. She found her work challenging and interesting. It was not what she had foreseen the situation to be like.

In fact, there had been many surprises along the way. She had not intended on finding the captain so amiable. She had thought their interactions would be fraught with tensions and the cause of much friction. They'd had a few disagreements, but nothing on the scale of what she had anticipated.

After an hour, T'Pol felt much calmer and more herself. She decided she would go see Phlox and get her nasal numbing agent. Just as she was about to leave, she heard her door chime.

"Come in," she replied.

At her open doorway stood Captain Archer. She was surprised to see him again so soon.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked.

"Not at all," she replied.

Archer walked in and sat down.

"I just wanted to check on you. You left Decon so quickly, I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Thank you for your concern, Captain. I am fine." Was he always this concerned about every member of his crew she wondered, or was it just her?

"Well I like to keep tabs on everyone and make sure theyâ€™re okay. That's just the kind of captain I am," he replied, almost as if he'd read her line of thought.

He mentioned, "I was also wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me."

"Oh?" She was curious as to why he was formally asking her to dinner. Usually she dined with him and Commander Tucker every night and he never requested her presence.

"Well Trip had dinner with Malcolm earlier this evening, so it looks like I'll be dining alone, unless you wish to join me."

"I'd be glad to join you sir." This explanation sat well with her.

"Good, shall we meet in the Captain's Mess in about 30 minutes then?"

"Yes, that is agreeable."

Archer flashed that charming smile of his again in her direction and left.

* * *

Archer had Chicken Marsala, whilst T'Pol partook of some Plomeek broth and Chef's own version of Pok Tar. T'Pol found that his experiment had turned out rather well and reminded herself to thank him later for his efforts in approximating Vulcan cuisine.

"T'Pol?" asked Archer.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking about our earlier conversation and your time on Enterprise in general."

She wondered where he was heading with this line of thinking.

Archer continued, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you're aboard Enterprise. I know I wasn't very welcoming when you first came here, but I want you to know that things have changed. I value your opinion and your presence is very important. You're doing a great job and I appreciate all your hard work."

T'Pol was touched by his sentiments.

"I'm glad my work is satisfactory, Captain."

Archer continued. There were certain things he wanted to get off his chest.

"T'Pol, I hope you see me as the kind of captain who is approachable and flexible. If you have an idea or comment, please speak up. I rely on you and the rest of the crew for that."

"Of course, sir." She wondered what he was getting at.

"And lastly I hope that we can be friends. I know Vulcans and Humans have a lot of differences, but perhaps our friendship and co-operation could be the start to putting aside some of those differences. What do you think?"

She pondered briefly over what he was saying. He was offering her a truce and the hand of friendship at the same time. He was also being most generous in giving her free rein on her opinions and ideas. He was certainly the most lenient captain she'd served under. She found herself agreeing with him. Perhaps her superiors had been mistaken in holding the humans back so long. Perhaps she had been too trusting of them; after all what had occurred at P'Jem only brought home that point.

"I would like to be your friend, Captain. I believe it would be beneficial to both our peoples and to the smooth operation of Enterprise."

Archer's face broke into a beaming smile that she found rather pleasing. It suited him.

"Well I think this deserves a toast."

T'Pol looked confused.

"It's a human tradition, T'Pol. We raise our glasses and drink to something. In this case, let's drink to our friendship."

"Very well," she acquiesced. Some human traditions were confusing, but she decided to go along with the captain since he sounded so enthusiastic about the idea.

"However, I don't drink alcohol," she reminded him.

"Just clink glasses, Tâ€™Pol," he teased.

She couldn't fathom the purpose of such action, but agreed with him nonetheless.

Archer raised his glass in the air and said, "To the Captain and The Vulcan, and to the beginning of a beautiful friendship." With that he happily clinked his glass against T'Pol's.


End file.
